PN leader Simon Busuttil called on the Attorney General to instantly publish all reports drawn up by the Financial Intelligence Analysis unit on alleged corruption by top government officials.

Addressing a political activity in Birgu, Busuttil lambasted AG Peter Grech for not taking action on a FIAU report that there was “reasonable suspicion” that kickbacks were paid over the sale of passports and that money was passed on between Nexia BT managing partner Brian Tonna and OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri.

Peter Grech is also chairperson of the FIAU, which is prohibited by law from publishing its investigations.

He referred to a Sunday Times story, which reported that the FIAU had passed on a damning report to the police commissioner back in 17 May 2016, but that the police had not investigated it.

However, Busuttil noted that former police commissioner Michael Cassar had resigned from the post on 27 April that year, 20 days before the FIAU forwarded its report to the police. This, he said, is proof that the FIAU had conducted at least two investigations on top government officials in relation to the Panama Papers scandal.

“Michael Cassar resigned because he had received a FIAU report and was too scared to take action on it,” he said. “How is it possible that Cassar received a report in April and resigned, when the report mentioned by the Times was compiled on 17 May?

“It is a sign that there was a second FIAU report and that these people were investigated at least twice. I hereby call on the Attorney General to publish all the FIAU reports in his possession now…now…NOW…in the national interest.”

‘Malta first and foremost’

In his speech, Busuttil also used Dom Mintoff’s famous ‘Malta first and foremost’ slogan in an attempt to woo Cottonera’s traditional Labour voters to jump ship to the PN in the upcoming election.

“The government didn’t build a single social housing unit in four years, and wasn’t even able to upgrade the Birgu village square,” he said. “Muscat has been using Cottonera residents for their votes for the past four years and he wants to continue doing so on 3 June. On 3 June, the choice is between Joseph Muscat and Malta, and Malta must be placed first and foremost. I will choose Malta and I have no doubt that the people will do likewise.”

Marlene Farrugia: ‘The enemy is within our walls’

Partit Demokratiku leader Marlene Farrugia delivered a typically passionate speech, in which she compared Malta’s current political situation with the Ottomans’ assault of Fort St Angelo in 1565.

“Back then, the people stood united behind the walls of Birgu to defeat the enemy, but now the enemy is within our walls…in the form of a clique that has sold our country.”

She said it is an honour to be contesting the election side by side with Busuttil as a “national force”, arguing that the time has come for the people to start placing national interests ahead of partisan ones.

“To those Labourites whose parents were buried in the mizbla all those years ago…your place is by my side, as part of this national force.”